What Would a Business Day Be Like without High-Speed Internet?

Published: 19 December 2018

Business has moved forward at lightning speed, in large part because of the internet. Internet speeds have significantly quickened over time, allowing us to continue business progress without being impeded.

These internet speeds are something we’ve become accustomed to as a society, so much so that most of us take them for granted at this point. But we should be grateful for that speed since it acts as a backbone to modern businesses. Imagine a typical business day without high-speed internet. What would it be like?

The Beginning of a World Wide Web

Maybe you remember the early days of widespread internet use or maybe you've only heard about it. The internet experience in the early 1990s was nothing like it is today. We had dialup internet that would use the phone line, taking away the ability to make calls while on the internet. That setup would constantly interfere with people staying in touch and limit the time spent on the internet. Either that or it necessitated a separate phone line.

During that time span, it wasn't always possible to connect to the internet right away; instead, you would sometimes have to try again and again before finding success. Then, when you did connect, the speeds were incredibly frustrating. Waiting for each page to load could test anyone’s patience. You may have read a few pages of a book or magazine to distract yourself. Otherwise, you’d be on the verge of a mental breakdown.

On top of that, the internet wasn’t all that exciting back then. Although its newness was enticing, there was only so much you could search for and do. Businesses barely had a presence at all and mostly stuck to brick-and-mortar business and print marketing methods. Getting in touch with businesses and providing or checking feedback wasn't as easy as a few mouse clicks on the computer.

If Today Was Like Then

If internet speeds were still as slow today, imagine where the business world would be. Even with a strong presence, brands would struggle to carry out commerce online. If we still had dialup, businesses would need separate lines for internet and phones. So much time would be wasted while every employee worked to connect to dialup and then inevitably got kicked off, starting the process over again.

Businesses wouldn’t be able to carry out instant e-commerce sales and have quick interactions with customers through chat and social media functions. Consumers would have frustrating experiences with business websites, and they wouldn’t be exposed to the same level of marketing they experience today because they would be trudging from site to site rather than speeding through sites, emails and social media.

How Far We've Come

Today, just about every business has an online presence, and countless businesses are able to function solely online because of how far the internet has come. High-speed internet has paved the way for businesses to attract consumers and stay connected to them while selling goods and services any time of day. And wireless internet allows us to stay connected without being physically connected through wires. This gives businesses the ability to work through a variety of devices and from different places. It allows consumers to do the same, so they can stay connected with businesses no matter where they are.

Thinking of a day without high-speed wireless internet reveals how much we all lean on being connected every day. High-speed internet service has become intertwined with the fabric of society and the business world, and everything would change without it.